Word Meanings - THEORY - Book Publishers vocabulary database

1. A doctrine, or scheme of things, which terminates in speculation or contemplation, without a view to practice; hypothesis; speculation. Note: "This word is employed by English writers in a very loose and improper sense. It is with them usually

Additional info about word: THEORY

1. A doctrine, or scheme of things, which terminates in speculation or contemplation, without a view to practice; hypothesis; speculation. Note: "This word is employed by English writers in a very loose and improper sense. It is with them usually convertible into hypothesis, and hypothesis is commonly used as another term for conjecture. The terms theory and theoretical are properly used in opposition to the terms practice and practical. In this sense, they were exclusively employed by the ancients; and in this sense, they are almost exclusively employed by the Continental philosophers." Sir W. Hamilton. 2. An exposition of the general or abstract principles of any science; as, the theory of music. 3. The science, as distinguished from the art; as, the theory and practice of medicine. 4. The philosophical explanation of phenomena, either physical or moral; as, Lavoisier's theory of combustion; Adam Smith's theory of moral sentiments. Atomic theory, Binary theory, etc. See under Atomic, Binary, etc. Syn. -- Hypothesis, speculation. -- Theory, Hypothesis. A theory is a scheme of the relations subsisting between the parts of a systematic whole; an hypothesis is a tentative conjecture respecting a cause of phenomena.

Possible synonyms: (Same meaning words of THEORY)

• Conjecture guest
• divination
• hypothesis
• theory
• notion
• surmise
• supposition
• Opinion
• Conviction
• view
• judgment
• idea
• impression
• estimation
• Scheme
• Plan
• project
• design
• contrivance
• purpose
• draft
• proposal
• device
• plot
• intrigue
• machination
• Speculation
• Contemplation
• consideration
• weighing
• thought
• scheme
• conjecture

Possible antonyms: (opposite words of THEORY)

• Computation
• calculation
• inference
• reckoning
• proof
• deduction
• Supply
• replenish
• import
• Recal
• withdraw
• draw
• retract
• pull
• attract
• rebound
• recoil
• adduce
• revert
• rebate
• Chance
• risk
• hazard
• revoke
• Miscalculate
• venture
• stake

Related words: (words related to THEORY)

• JUDGMENT
  The final award; the last sentence. Note: Judgment, abridgment, acknowledgment, and lodgment are in England sometimes written, judgement, abridgement, acknowledgement, and lodgement. Note: Judgment is used adjectively in many self-explaining
• CHANCELLERY
  Chancellorship. Gower.
• HAZARDIZE
  A hazardous attempt or situation; hazard. Herself had run into that hazardize. Spenser.
• PROJECTION
  The representation of something; delineation; plan; especially, the representation of any object on a perspective plane, or such a delineation as would result were the chief points of the object thrown forward upon the plane, each in the direction
• OPINIONATOR
  An opinionated person; one given to conjecture. South.
• DESIGN
  drawing, dessein a plan or scheme; all, ultimately, from L. designare to designate; de- + signare to mark, mark out, signum mark, sign. See 1. To draw preliminary outline or main features of; to sketch for a pattern or model; to delineate; to trace
• REVOKER
  One who revokes.
• RECKON
  reckon, G. rechnen, OHG. rahnjan), and to E. reck, rake an implement; the original sense probably being, to bring together, count together. 1. To count; to enumerate; to number; also, to compute; to calculate. The priest shall reckon to him the
• DESIGNATE
  Designated; appointed; chosen. Sir G. Buck.
• REVERT
  To change back. See Revert, v. i. To revert a series , to treat a series, as y = a + bx + cx2 + etc., where one variable y is expressed in powers of a second variable x, so as to find therefrom the second variable x, expressed in a series arranged
• SUPPLYMENT
  A supplying or furnishing; supply. Shak.
• PURPOSELESS
  Having no purpose or result; objectless. Bp. Hall. -- Pur"pose*less*ness, n.
• RECKONER
  One who reckons or computes; also, a book of calculation, tables, etc., to assist in reckoning. Reckoners without their host must reckon twice. Camden.
• VENTURESOME
  Inclined to venture; not loth to run risk or danger; venturous; bold; daring; adventurous; as, a venturesome boy or act. -- Ven"ture*some*ly, adv. -- Ven"ture*some*ness, n.
• IMPORTUNELY
  In an importune manner.
• RETRACTOR
  One who, or that which, retracts. Specifically: In breech-loading firearms, a device for withdrawing a cartridge shell from the barrel.
• PROJECTMENT
  Design; contrivance; projection. Clarendon.
• SURMISE
  surmis, to impose, accuse; sur + mettre to put, set, L. 1. A thought, imagination, or conjecture, which is based upon feeble or scanty evidence; suspicion; guess; as, the surmisses of jealousy or of envy. double honor gain From his surmise proved
• COMPUTATION
  1. The act or process of computing; calculation; reckoning. By just computation of the time. Shak. By a computation backward from ourselves. Bacon. 2. The result of computation; the amount computed. Syn. -- Reckoning; calculation; estimate;
• CONJECTURER
  One who conjectures. Hobbes.
• DISVENTURE
  A disadventure. Shelton.
• SADDUCEEISM; SADDUCISM
  The tenets of the Sadducees.
• COUNTER WEIGHT
  A counterpoise.
• MISCOMPUTATION
  Erroneous computation; false reckoning.
• SELF-REPROOF
  The act of reproving one's self; censure of one's conduct by one's own judgment.
• VORTEX THEORY
  The theory, advanced by Thomson on the basis of investigation by Helmholtz, that the atoms are vortically moving ring-shaped masses (or masses of other forms having a similar internal motion) of a homogeneous, incompressible, frictionless fluid.
• HIGH-PROOF
  1. Highly rectified; very strongly alcoholic; as, high-proof spirits. 2. So as to stand any test. "We are high-proof melancholy." Shak.